Trump pressures GOP senators to end the government shutdown, now the
longest ever
[November 06, 2025]
By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at Senate
Republicans to end the government shutdown, now the longest ever at 36
days, blaming the impasse for the party's defeat in closely-watched
elections while Democrats, emboldened by their off-year victories, dug
in for a fight.
Trump, whose first term at the White House set the previous government
shutdown record, said this one was a “big factor, negative” in Tuesday's
races. He revived his demands for Republicans to end the Senate
filibuster as a way to reopen government — something senators have
refused to do.
At the same time, Democrats hardened their resolve after sweeping
governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey and the mayor's race in New
York. The Democratic leaders said Trump needs to get serious about
negotiating an end to the stalemate and resolve the problem of expiring
health care subsidies that are central to the debate.
“The election results ought to send a much needed bolt of lightning to
Donald Trump that he should meet with us to end this crisis,” said
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
Now into a sixth week, the shutdown and its impacts have deepened
nationwide. The federal closures are disrupting the lives of millions of
Americans with program cuts, flight delays and workers scrambling to
make do without paychecks. Officials have warned of a worsening climate
to come, including chaos in the skies. The Federal Aviation
Administration said it will reduce air traffic starting Friday in major
markets.
Elections bring an inflection point, and Trump's filibuster demands
Expectations were high that the logjam would break once results were
tallied in elections that were widely watched as a gauge of voter
sentiment over Trump’s second term.
But Trump's demands on Wednesday that Republican senators get rid of the
filibuster as a way to end the shutdown complicated an already difficult
situation. And Democrats facing divisions within their progressive and
moderate ranks said the results showed that voters will reward them for
the fight.
“It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do, and that’s
terminate the filibuster,” Trump said during a breakfast meeting
Wednesday with GOP senators at the White House.
Trump told the GOP senators they could bring the shutdown to a close by
ending the Senate rule, which requires a 60-vote threshold for advancing
most legislation, and steamroll the Democratic minority. Republicans now
hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and Democrats have been able to
block legislation that would fund the government, having voted more than
a dozen times against.
That push from Trump is likely to go unheeded by Republican senators —
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said later changing the filibuster
does not have support and is “not happening” — but it could spur them to
deal with the Democrats.
Trump sets another shutdown record
Trump’s approach to the shutdown stands in marked contrast to his first
term, when the government was partially closed for 35 days over his
demands for money to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall. At that time, he
met publicly and negotiated with congressional leaders. Unable to secure
the money, he relented in 2019.
This time, Trump stayed out of the shutdown debate, instead keeping a
robust schedule of global travel and events, including at his private
Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. And it’s not just Trump declining to engage
in talks. The congressional leaders are at a standoff, and House Speaker
Mike Johnson, R-La., sent lawmakers home in September after they
approved their own funding bill, refusing further negotiations.
A “sad landmark,” Johnson said at a news conference Wednesday about the
record shutdown.
The speaker dismissed his party’s election losses and said Democrats
need to drop their demands on health care until after the government
reopens.
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President Donald Trump speaks during a breakfast with Senate and
House Republicans in the State Dining Room of the White House,
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Senators search for deal as shutdown fallout worsens
While talks have intensified among a loose coalition of centrist
senators trying to negotiate an end to the shutdown, Democrats are
also doubtful that any deal struck with the Republicans will be
upheld unless Trump also agrees.
The Democrats said Trump's postelection unease with the shutdown
should spark talks. But they also question whether the Republican
president will keep his word, particularly after the administration
restricted SNAP food aid despite court orders to ensure funds are
available to prevent hunger.
And while moderate Democrats are quietly working toward an offramp,
progressive Democrats are holding out for the best deal possible.
“It would be very strange for the American people to have weighed
in, in support of Democrats standing up and fighting for them, and
within days for us to surrender without having achieved any of the
things that we’ve been fighting for,” said Sen. Chris Murphy,
D-Conn.
In the meantime, food aid, child care money and countless other
government services are being seriously interrupted. Hundreds of
thousands of federal workers have been furloughed or expected to
come to work without pay.
“Can this be over now?” Thune, R-S.D., said as he returned from the
White House breakfast. “Have the American people suffered enough?”
Skyrocketing health insurance costs at issue
Central to any resolution will be a series of agreements that would
need to be upheld not only by the Senate, but also by the House, and
the White House, which is not at all certain.
Senators from both parties are pushing to ensure the normal
government funding process in Congress can be put back on track,
eyeing a smaller package of bills that has widespread support to
fund various aspects of government such as agricultural programs and
military construction projects at bases.
More difficult, a substantial number of senators also want some
resolution to the standoff over the funding for the Affordable Care
Act subsidies that are set to expire at year’s end.
With insurance premium notices being sent, millions of people are
experiencing sticker shock on skyrocketing prices. The loss of
enhanced federal subsidies, which were put in place during the
COVID-19 pandemic and come in the form of tax credits, are expected
to leave many people unable to buy health insurance.
Republicans are reluctant to fund the health care program, also
known as Obamacare, without changes, but negotiating a compromise
with Democrats is expected to take time, if a deal can be reached at
all.
Thune has promised Democrats at least a vote on their preferred
health care proposal, as part of any deal to reopen government. But
that’s not enough for some senators, who see the health care
deadlock as part of their broader concerns with Trump’s direction
for the country and want assurance it will be resolved.
___
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Joey
Cappelletti and Matt Brown contributed to this report.
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